Suitcase-lock



E H. SHAFF.

- SUITCASE LOCK. APPLICATION FILED n'sc.4. 1919.

1,392,531. I Patented Oct. 4, 1921-.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. SHAFF, OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 4, 1919. Serial No. 342, 439.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. SHArr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Haven, in the county of Ottawa and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Suitcase-Lock, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a suit case lock, and one object of the invention is to provide novel means for uniting the hasp and hasp plate.

Another object of the invention is to improve devices of the kind mentioned by giving an added function to the spring which operates the hasp, the hasp carrying a keeper adapted to cooperate with a latch plate.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view,

v which will appear as the description prothe scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. I In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 shows in bottom plan, a device constructed "in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken approximately on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan of the latch plate and parts carried thereby; and Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4:-4 of Fig. 2.

The device includes a main plate or casing 1 having openings 2 whereby the main plate maybe attached to a suitcaseor like article. The main plate 1 comprises a raised portion 3 defining a recess 1 in the rear surface of the main plate. There is a raised boss 5 on the part 3 of the main plate 1, the boss having an opening 6. Oppositely disposed fingers 7 are struck from the boss 5 at the edge of the opening 6. A key hole 8 is fashioned in the raised portion 3 of the plate 1 and there are slots 9 in the part 3 J on opposite sides of the key hole.

form a projection 11 at one end of the latch plate, the projection operating inthe raised boss 5 on the main plate 1, there being a notch12 in the base portion of the projection 11. The fingers 7 on the main plate 1 extend into the notch 12 and overlap the base of the projection 11, thus comiecting the latch plate 10 slidably with the main plate 1. Tongues 14.- are struck from the latch plate 10. A spring tumbler 15 is mounted for reciprocation between the tongues 14. No novelty is claimed for the tumbler 79c? 86, but it may be stated that the tumbler includes a projection 16 adapted, when the tumbler is advanced from the position shown in Fig. 3 to coact with the projection or. flange 17 formed on the main plate 1 adjacent to one of the slots 9, that the latch plate cannot slide endwise. When the tumbler 15 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the projection 16 is out of the path of the part 17 on the main plate 1, and consequently, the latch plate can be re tracted in a way to be pointed out hereinafter. There is notch 18 in the projection 16 of the tumbler, this latch being adapted to coact with a key in a way to be described hereinafter. Openings 19 are formed in the latch plate 10, and adjacent to the openings, the constituent material. of the latch plate is distorted to form seats 20. The latch plate 10 has an aperture 21 cooperating with the key hole 8 in the raised portion 3 of the main plate 1. Outer projections 22 are struck from the latch plate, an intermediate projection 23 being struck likewise from the, latch plate. 'One arm 21 of a Ushaped spring 25 is inserted between the projections 22 on the one hand and the projection 23 on the other hand, the spring being retained in this way on the latch plate. The spring 25 includes an arm 26 which, bearing against the end of the raised portion 3 of the main plate 1, serves to advance the latch plate 10 in locked position. A cup-shaped button 27 is slidably mounted 011 the raised portion 3 of the main plate 1, the

button 27 having reduced arms 28 extended through the slots 9 in the part 3 of the mainplate 1 and through the openings 19 in the latch plate 10, the extremities of the arms 28 being bent or clenched to form fingers 29 received in the seats 20 formed in the latch plate 10 adjacent to the openings 19. A cup-shaped guard member 30 is mounted rotatably under the button 27 in Patented Oct. 4, 1921.

contact with the raised portion 3 of the main plate 1, Keyhole slots 31 are fashioned in the guard member and in the button 27.

T he'numeral 32 denotes a hasp plate provided withopenings 33 whereby the hasp plate may be secured to the cover of a suit case or the like. The hasp plate 32 is pressed outwardly to form side ribs 34. There is a notch 35 in the hasp plate, between the ribs 34. At the inner end of the notch 35, the hasp plate 32 is supplied with a trough shaped seat 36. The numeral 37 denotes a hasp having an end wall 38 received terminally in the seat 36. On the inner end of the hasp 37 there are projections 39 extended beneath the hasp plate 32 at the base of the notch 35, and serving to hold the end wall 38 of the hasp pivotally engaged with the seat 36 of the hasp plate 32. The hasp 37 is provided with side flanges 40 equipped with outstanding tongues coacting with the side ribs 34 of the hasp plate 32 to limit the Cir outward swinging movement or" the hasp 37 The numeral 42 denotes a sprlng strip extended longitudinally of the hasp 37 and attached thereto by securing elements 43. One

the seat 36 of the hasp 32, as shown at 44. The other end of the spring strip 42 is pressed inwardly to form a keeper 45 having a shoulder 46 adapted to cooperate with the notch 12 in the latch plate 10.

In practical operation, a key 47 may be inserted into the key holes 31 and 21 and the tumbler 15 may be moved endwise, into the position shown in Fig. 3, sothat the projection 16 on the tumbler does not cooperate with the part 17 of the main plate 1. Then, obviously, the latch plate 10 may be slid end- Wise through the instrumentality of thebutton 27, thereby to disengage the notched portion 12 of the latch plate from the keeper 45 on the spring 42 of the hasp 37.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is j 1. In a device of the class described, a hasp plate having a notch and provided with a trough-shaped seat at the inner end of the notch, the hasp including an end wall received in the seat, the" hasp being provided with projections engaging the plate at each side of the seat to hold the end wall engaged 'pivotally with the seat; a spring strip eX- tended along the hasp and bearing at one end 7 on the seat, the spring strip beingprovided of the hasp; means for securing the stripto thehasp at a point adjacent to the keeper; a

casing having an opening receiving the keeper; and a latch movable 1n the casing and cooperating with thekeeper.

3. In a device of the class described, a main plate having a raised portion defining a recess in the rear surface of the main plate, there being a raised boss on said portion of the plate, the boss having an opening, oppositely disposed fingers being struck from the boss at the edge of the opening; and a latch having limited sliding movement in the recess, the latch being distorted to form a projection received in the boss, there being a notch in the base portion of the projection, the fingers'extending into the notch and overlapping the base of the projection,

thereby to connect the latch slidably with the.

main plate.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto ajiixed my signa- 

